A Super Easy DIY Elsa Dress

Just for fun, we tried making a Snow Queen dress with the two T-shirt method I first used to make Alice's Rapunzel gown.

I don't know if I like it quite as much as I liked the original Rapunzel version, but it came out all right, I think - Alice was really happy, anyway. Especially with the train.

The idea, again, is that the dress doesn't have to be an exact replica to be dress-up perfect. It just needs to be sort of the right color with a few of the right details. That's all an able make-believer needs.

I like that these dresses are inexpensive, easy to make and easy to get in and out of. And, this time, Alice got to help a little bit with the sewing, which was really fun too.

Here's what you need:

• A T-shirt sized to fit your child
• A T-shirt sized to fit an adult (I used a women's XL)
• Basic sewing supplies
• Embellishments - if you want to add Elsa's cape/train thing, try half a yard of tulle or something sparkly-shimmery. We found the material for ours in the remnant bin at the fabric store.
• Quarter-inch thick elastic

And here's what we did:

• First, cut across the child-sized shirt about an inch below where you'd like the waistline of the dress to be. For us, this was a couple of inches below the arm openings. That's your bodice.
• The adult-sized shirt will become the skirt. Decide how long you want it to be, then cut accordingly across the top of the shirt. For Alice's dress, I cut just under the arm openings.
• Depending on the difference in width between your bodice and skirt pieces, you might need to gather the skirt a bit. If so, do that now. Then, if your dress is going to include the cape, pin that piece of fabric to the back of the skirt. (In retrospect, though, I kind of wish I had made the cape detachable, so something to consider). Finally, sew bodice and skirt together, right sides facing, with a one-inch seam allowance. 
• Instead of trimming the excess fabric from the seam you just sewed, stitch another line within the seam allowance, about halfway between the original seam and the raw edge - you're creating a little casing for an elastic waistband to give the dress some shape. Don't sew all the way around this time - leave a 2-inch opening.
• Using some of your child's existing clothing as a guide - leggings work well - measure off a length of elastic. Attach a safety pin to one end and thread it through the casing you created. Sew the elastic ends together, then sew the opening shut.

That's it. The dress is mostly done. Now you get to add some details.

The child's shirt I bought for this project already had a silver foil print on it, which worked nicely. If it had been plain, I might have added some sequins or rhinestones or something. The material we used for the cape was also sparkly to begin with. So, all we really added was some square-shaped sequined trim that kind of called back to Elsa's ice dress in the movie.

Super Easy Princess Dress

Alice wants to grow her hair so long it touches the ground. She'd like to toss it out of a tower window and let people climb on up. She thinks that would be fun.

I'm still hoping she outgrows (ha!) Mission Rapunzel before she realizes the mismatch between her vision and reality. But for now, anyway, she is committed to the fantasy.

So, when I saw a long blond wig in the toy aisle  the other day, I thought it would make a fun little treat for her.

And of course it would be even more fun if she had a Rapunzel dress to go with it, but I didn't want to spend a lot of money and didn't have a lot of time to make one.

Then I remembered the most important lesson I've learned about making princess dresses: They're not too difficult.

At least, not necessarily. If all you're looking for is a fun addition to the dress-up wardrobe, the gown doesn't have to be a perfect facsimile. With the right color palette, all you really need is to suggest a few signature details - kids' imaginations will take them the rest of the way.

For Alice's version of Rapunzel, those details were the sleeves and lace-up bodice. With that in mind, I tried to think up the simplest foundation possible and decided to try making a dress out of two T-shirts. This gave us a dress that is softer than most store-bought costumes, and a lot easier to get into.

It came out pretty well, I think! You can get this done in a couple of hours. Here's what you need:

• A T-shirt sized to fit your child
• A T-shirt sized to fit an adult. (I used a medium)
• Basic sewing supplies
• Embellishments
• Quarter-inch thick elastic

(The shirts I found were darker than I would have liked, but I got them both for $5 total, so I figured it was a good compromise).

• First, cut across the child-sized shirt, a couple of inches below the arm holes. This will be the bodice.
• The adult shirt will be the skirt. Decide how long you want it to be, then cut across the top of the shirt accordingly. For Alice's dress, I cut the adult-sized shirt right at the base of the arm openings.

Cut each shirt, roughly where indicated above.

• Depending on the size difference between your bodice and skirt pieces, you might need to gather the skirt a bit. If so, do that now. Then, sew the two pieces, right sides and raw edges together, with a 5/8 seam allowance. Using a zigzag stitch will make it easier to work with the knit fabric.
• Instead of trimming the excess fabric, stitch another line into the seam allowance, about 3/8 of an inch away from the original seam. You're creating a little casing for elastic to give the dress some shape - make sure to leave a 2-inch opening.
• Using some of your child's existing clothing as a guide - leggings work well - measure off a length of elastic. Attach a safety pin to one end and thread it through the casing you created. Sew the elastic ends together, then sew the opening shut.

That's your basic dress.

Now you get to add some details.

The lace-up bodice and slashed sleeves were beyond the scope of what I wanted and had time to do with Alice's Rapunzel dress. Instead, I tried to suggest those details with some pretty trim and ribbon. Finally, I added a little embellishment to the hem and neckline.

She was convinced.

I'd love to try this with other costumes. Cinderella and Snow White could be really fun, but those ladies are already represented in our dress-up drawer, so perhaps Tiana or Belle? Princess Anna might be too tricky for this method, but I bet you could pull off a credible Elsa. And why not non-princesses like Wonder Woman or Super Girl?

Update: We tried an Elsa version.

How to Make No-Sew Fabric Flowers

Last week's bandana bib project left me with enough scraps for some pretty little fabric flowers. They make a fun - and quick - Fourth of July accessory, and no sewing is required.

To make some you need:

• Fabric (I used cotton bandanas, but you could use anything you like or have around, as long as it's fairly lightweight. For each flower, you'll need four circles, each about 3 inches in diameter.)
• Spray starch
• Twine or string

First, trace four circles on your fabric and cut them out. The bigger the circles, the bigger the flower, obviously. I used a mason jar lid as a guide.

Spray the circles with starch and press each one.

Make a stack of four circles, alternating colors, if you like. Then, spray with starch again and fold the stack, accordian-style. You should be able to get three folds - over, under, over. Press.

Pinch the center of the folded stack so that it looks like a bow, then tie it off tightly with twine - sewing thread isn't going to be strong enough.

When the starch has dried, carefully separate and pull up each fabric layer so they look like petals.

And that's it.

Fasten the rosettes to safety pins or hairpins. Or, string up a chain to make a garland. A little more starch or some hairspray should keep the edges from fraying too badly.

How to Make a Bandana Bib

It seems early for her to be teething, but my baby girl has been dribbling like an adorable little faucet lately.

Rather than change damp onesies all day, I've started to put bibs on her. She's not eating solids yet, so we don't need anything heavy-duty - just enough to keep her shirt dry. 

And with Fourth of July around the corner, I thought I could make her something a little fun and festive too. 

This bandana bib was super easy and pretty economical. Here's how to make one.

You'll need:

• A bandana
• Absorbant backing material (I used flannel)
• Sew-in Velcro or snaps
• Sewing supplies

1. First iron your bandana flat, then fold one corner up to the center. Cut along the fold to create a triangle. (My baby is almost 4-months-old, and this just fit her. If you have an older or chubbier baby, you might need a larger triangle. Try measuring around the neckline of a t-shirt to figure out how wide your base should be.)
2. Cut a matching shape out of the backing material.
3. Pin the front and back sides of the bib together, right sides facing.
4. Sew around all three sides, leaving a 2-inch gap.
5. Trim, turn the bib right-side out and iron flat.
6. Top stitch along all three sides, this time sewing the gap closed.
7. Attach your Velcro or snaps. To avoid frustration later, make sure one tab is sewn onto the bandana side and the other is sewn onto the backing side.

That's it.

Have you ever seen a sweeter bandit?

DIY: Valentine's Day Bookmarks

For a while now, bedtime has been a special ritual between Alice and her dad.

He wrangles her into her pj's. She pulls a few books from the shelf. They settle down and cuddle up.

Most days, I pick Alice up from nursery school and the two of us have at least a couple of hours together before my husband gets home from work.

The evenings speed up, then, as dinner is made and eaten, as the bath is drawn and drained.

So, story time is a precious cozy-quiet time for Alice and her dad - and it's one I am so glad they can share.

Lately, they've been mixing some longer books - a Beatrix Potter anthology and the Uncle Wiggily stories - in with the usual mix of picture books, and I thought a simple, little bookmark might make a sweet Valentine's Day token for the two of them.

This project takes a bit longer than the homemade valentines I shared last week - but not much. And it's a craft an older child could easily put together as a gift for teachers or friends.

You'll need:
Felt - just scraps are fine
Scrapbooking paper or cardstock - something with heft
Glue
Embroidery floss and a needle
Buttons, sequins, ribbon - whatever your favorite embellishments are

Step 1: For each bookmark, cut out two identical felt hearts (mine are about 2 1/2 inches across at their widest). You don't have to be exact here, but try to make the base of the hearts as close to right angles as possible - this will help the bookmark stay on the page.

Step 2: Next, for each bookmark, cut two identical hearts - just smaller than the felt hearts - out of your cardstock. Set these aside.

Step 3: Choose one of the felt hearts to be the front of the bookmark and embellish. I kept mine pretty simple, but you can go as fancy as you please.

Step 4: Glue the paper hearts to the backs of the felt hearts. This step is sort of optional, but it will make the bookmarks sturdier and help them "grab" the page.

Step 5: Starting halfway up the heart, stitch or glue the front and back sides of the bookmark together. If, for symmetry's sake, you want to continue your stitching all the way around the heart (I did), just make sure the stitches along the top of the heart only go through the first layer of felt - you need a pocket for those book pages.

DIY Valentines: Super Easy and Candy-Free (Day 4 - Glow Sticks)

This week, I'm sharing some ideas for homemade valentines that are inexpensive and simple to pull off - and that don't involve candy. Up today? Glow sticks.

Don't tell, but I think these are the ones Alice will bring to school next week. 

Who doesn't love a glow stick?

These came from the party-favor aisle at Target and cost a few dollars for a pack of 5. (There are also glow-y necklaces and bracelets, glasses and swords ...)

I looped a festive ribbon through the hole on top and attached each glow stick to a card with some baker's twine. I'd also recommend a dot of glue or rubber cement to make the valentine a little more secure.

I don't expect the glow to last very long - but neither would a candy bar. And, hopefully, these are just a little bit more memorable and out of the ordinary.

Find more homemade Valentine's Day ideas right here.

DIY Valentines: Super Easy and Candy-Free (Day 3 - Stickers)

This week, I'm sharing some ideas for homemade valentines that are inexpensive and simple to pull off - and that don't involve candy. Up today? Stickers.

Stickers work nicely for classroom treats because they tend to be pretty low-cost, and it's easy to find boy, girl and gender-neutral options.

(Plus, for kids within a certain age bracket, they seem to have some of the same novelty as candy. Honestly, Alice is rarely so pleased as when she comes home with a special sticker on her sweater, earned for sitting nicely during circle time.)

Take the wordplay in a different direction by attaching the card to a plant marker and tucking it into a potted succulent for a (slightly) more sophisticated teacher gift. Or, what about a basket full of "sticky" office supplies - Post-it notes, glue sticks, tacks, some pretty washi tape?

Find more homemade Valentine's Day ideas right here.

DIY Valentines: Super Easy and Candy-Free (Day 2 - Markers)

This week, I'm sharing some ideas for homemade valentines that are inexpensive and simple to pull off - and that don't involve candy. Up today? Markers.

I am drawn to you.

Get it?

Say you're the parent of a preschooler. Is it more worrisome to see your child clutching a box of conversation hearts, or a pack of markers?

It's a tough call.

But, for littler kiddos, you could easily substitute crayons here. Or some colored pencils.

And, with the addition of a coloring book or sketch pad (Perhaps some stencils? Even a set of water colors?), you could put together a cute little art-themed Valentine's Day gift.

Find more homemade Valentine's Day ideas right here.

DIY Valentines: Super Easy and Candy-Free (Day 1 - Shades)

I love a homemade Valentine. Especially if there's a terrible pun involved.

However. I don't know if it's because Alice is still pretty small - or if this makes me kind of a spoilsport - but I don't love the idea of sending her to nursery school with a bunch of candy for all her buddies.

Who knows. I could come around. (On the other hand, my principal mom says more and more schools are strictly enforcing no-sweets policies. Valentine's Day included).

In the meantime, I've been trying to think of treats that aren't sugary - but are still a lot of fun.

Last year, we made heart-shaped rainbow crayons for Alice's class.

And they were fun. But they were also a little bit of work and a little bit of mess. This year, I came up with a few even easier ideas that I'll be sharing over the next few days.

Seriously, you can knock any of these out this weekend with little more than a printer and a trip to the dollar store.

First up: Valentine shades.

I attached the tag with some pretty baker's twine. If you have more time, and are so inclined, I think it also would be cute to tuck the sunglasses into a simple paper envelope, cut into the shape of an eyeglass case.

Find more DIY Valentine's Day ideas right here. 

An Eric Carle Baby Shower

I love the tradition of baby showers. I love celebrating a brand-new life and shoring up the parents-to-be with loads of support and a few of the little things they'll need to see themselves through.

Nevertheless, I've had mixed feelings about second-baby showers - for myself, anyway. We have a lot of baby stuff left over from Alice, after all, and the people closest to us have already been so generous.

But when our sweet friends very graciously offered to host a shower in honor of our new little one, it was hard to resist. And I started to think that a new baby, whether it's a first or a fifth, is a better excuse for a party than almost any other one I can think of. It was also a really fun way to involve Alice in the excitement (our baby showers include men and kiddos).

We had the most fantastic time.

Our friends chose an Eric Carle theme, which I thought was just perfect, with lots of bright colors and happy images. (I think it would make a great theme for a child's birthday party too!) I'm not doing the party justice here, but I thought I'd share some of the charming details. For even more inspiration, the Stockton-San Joaquin County Public Library has a wide selection of Eric Carle books.

The Very Hungry Caterpillar cake pops were killing me. Here's a closer look:

Can you stand it?

But wait. There were also favor bags:

There is a caterpillar hole through the center of that cookie. We are a hugely lucky family.

DIY: Snow Globes

Snow globes are my favorite.

Yours too?

I used to love carefully unpacking my mom's collection every year at Christmastime. And even still, they make me smile whenever I see them on visits home for the holidays.

These ones that Alice and I made together aren't so fancy - but they turned out to be almost as captivating.

You'll need:
Glass jars with lids - we used babyfood jars, but just about any kind would do
Plastic toys or figurines
Glitter
Glue - something that will hold up to water
White corn syrup (Glycerin would work too, but we had lots of corn syrup on hand from baking)

Step 1: Thoroughly wash and dry your jars and clean off labels. I hear good things about Goo Gone. But all we used was soap and warm water, and it didn't take too long.

Step 2: Arrange your figurines on the inside of the lid. This was Alice's job. Once she was finished, I glued everything down where she had placed it.

Step 3: While the glue is drying, fill the jar with water, leaving about half an inch at the top.

Step 4: Stir in 2 teaspoons of corn syrup until it dissolves. (If you're using glycerin, you won't need so much). The corn syrup helps the glitter float instead of sinking straight to the bottom of the jar.

Step 5: Add a healthy pinch of glitter and stir.

Step 6: Replace the lid with the figurines attached and close tightly. Give your snow globe a shake. If everything looks fantastic, take off the lid, add some glue to the threads on the jar and close it up again.

Pretty right?

You could paint the lid or add some trim to make things more festive.

(Just for kicks, we made a dino snow globe too).

Homemade Caramels

This recipe came to us from one of my husband's aunts. And not having any candy-making experience, I can tell you I found it a little daunting at first.

(In fact I completely botched the first batch - keep an eye on that temperature.)

But the ingredients are simple and inexpensive, and really, it's a fairly easy recipe after all - one that makes for a sweet last-minute gift or an unexpected addition to your cookie tray.

Keep in mind, though, that since you're working with molten sugar, this isn't something to try with kiddos. It's more of an after-bedtime project, I would say.

You'll need:
A candy thermometer
2 cups of sugar
2 cups of light corn syrup
2 sticks of salted butter (half a pound)
A dash of salt
A 14-ounce can of sweetened condensed milk
A bowl of ice water - keep this nearby while you're cooking
A cookie sheet lined with parchment paper
Wax paper, cut into small squares (4 inches or so works nicely)

Step 1: Combine sugar, corn syrup, butter and salt in a heavy saucepan and bring to a boil. Boil for 5 minutes, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon.

Step 2: Add the sweetened condensed milk.

Step 3: Continue stirring and stop cooking just before the temperature reaches 240 degrees. (For most of the time you're cooking it, the mixture will have a buttery color. Not until the temperature gets closer to 240 degrees will it darken, so don't worry). Using your spoon, drizzle some caramel into the ice water to cool it. Then, have a taste.

Step 4: If you're happy with the flavor and texture, carefully pour the caramel into your prepared cookie sheet.

Step 5: Let the candy cool, then cut into small chunks. No need to be super precise - it's homemade! Roll each piece inside a wax paper square and twist the ends closed. (I also tried using foil candy wrappers, purchased from a craft store. But I thought the wax paper was much easier to work with and prettier too).

This recipe will give you many, many dozens of caramels. We're sharing with co-workers and neighbors ... and I'm very tempted to set some aside for caramel corn.

DIY: Super Simple Favor Bags

In that last week before Christmas, it's nice to have a few extra gifts on hand for friends, co-workers, neighbor and teachers. And I think homemade goodies do the job nicely - especially when they come in cute packaging.

These little favor pouches were really easy to make and - filled with sweet treats - make charming tokens of holiday cheer.

You'll need:
Brown paper bags (both grocery bags or lunch bags will work)
Bright thread or ribbon
(Optional) Scrapbooking scissors with a fancy edge
A sewing machine OR a small hole-punch

Step 1: Cut your bags into squares or rectangles. You'll need two pieces (a front and a back) for each pouch.

Step 2: Use a decorative stitch - I used a zig-zag stitch - to sew your pouch together along three edges. If you don't have a sewing machine, punch holes along the edges of the paper. Then, lace a ribbon through to attach the front and back pieces.

Step 3: If you want, finish off the edges with your specialty scissors.

Step 4: Pack with sweets. Mine are filled with homemade caramels - more on that tomorrow - but a couple of cookies would do nicely too, or even some store-bought chocolates.

Salt-dough Ornaments

Alice had such a good time decorating our Christmas tree this year (all the ornaments are crowded along the bottom, just where she left them) that I thought she might enjoy making a few more pretty things to hang from its branches.

Nothing fancy. Just plain-old salt dough. But it turns out plain-old salt dough makes for a really fun make-before-dinner toddler activity. Here's what we did.

You'll need:
2 cups of flour
1 cup salt
About a cup of water - or a little more or less

Step 1: Combine the salt and flour, then add water - a half cup or so at a time until the dough has a nice, pliable consistency. You don't want it to crumble, but you also don't want it so sticky that you can't roll it out.

Step 2: Roll it out - about a quarter-inch thick works nicely.

Step 3: Cut shapes out of the dough with cookie cutters or even the top of a drinking glass. Then use a straw to make holes you can eventually string a ribbon through.

Step 4: Bake at 200 degrees until the ornaments are dry. This took about an hour for us.

Step 5: After the ornaments have cooled, paint or seal.

True story: When I was a kid, my parents had some cute, salt-dough ornaments that I imagine were purchased at a craft fair or something. Unfortunately, the backs weren't sealed, and the ornaments got buggy.

Alice and I weren't too careful about sealing these very thoroughly, so I don't think we'll be storing them.

But, for now, they're cheery little additions to our tree.

Advent Calendars

I love a countdown.

Every year when we were kids, my grandmother would buy my cousins and brothers and I one of those imported-from-Germany, chocolate-filled advent calendars - the kind where you pop open a little cardboard window for every day in December.

It was my favorite part of the holiday season.

I still love an advent calendar, and this year, Alice is old enough to look forward to the ritual of counting down days until Christmas. I sewed pouches out of some scrap fabric to make the simple advent calendar strung under our mantel. Each pouch is filled with a piece of chocolate or a couple of stickers or some other trinket - and her excitement at opening a new one each day makes a tiny surprise seem like a treasure.

Does your family keep an advent calendar? A new one every year or a much-loved heirloom that's carefully taken out of storage each December?

No advent calendar? Well, the month may be half over, but I say it's not too late. Starting tomorrow gives you a nice 10-day countdown, after all, which sounds perfectly fun to me.

P.S. Oh, man. I'm feeling really bad about the unexpected and unexplained break from posting. Here's my excuse: We're expecting another baby! (Talk about a countdown). I'm over the moon about it, of course, but those early months took a lot out of me. Feeling better now, though, so here's to the return of energy.